Method and apparatus for joining electronic conference

ABSTRACT

According to the present invention, even while a chat opening process is in progress, users can join chats by means of a simple procedure from a video game machine. Once a chat has been opened, an invitation signal can further be transmitted to other chat guests. A video game machine of an expected guest receiving the invitation signal displays a screen prompting the guest to enter the chat room, and the expected guest can join the chat by transmitting an enter room signal to a database. At this time, a chat answer signal indicating that the expected guest accepts the invitation from a chairman is transmitted from the expected guest to the chairman.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/976,018, filed Dec. 21, 2015, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/944,379, filed Jul. 17, 2013 and now U.S. Pat.No. 9,246,855, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser.No. 09/820,530, filed Mar. 29, 2001 and now U.S. Pat. No. 8,554,842,which claims priority to Japanese Application No. 2000-351911, filedNov. 17, 2000. The disclosures of these documents, including thespecifications, drawings, and claims, are incorporated herein byreference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for joining anelectronic conference, and particularly to a method and apparatus forjoining an electronic conference by using a simple procedure from avideo game machine.

Description of the Related Art

Video game machines with an Internet connection function can receivevarious services via servers of ISPs (Internet Service Providers). Withthese new services, for example, game software is distributed to videogame machines and users can play battle games via a network. On theother hand, other new services can be provided by combining servicesrelating to games with services such as electronic mail and conferences(hereafter referred to as “chats”) which are conventionally provided onthe Internet.

In a battle game, users playing the game via a network may be opponentsor allies. If users who have become acquainted through a game have meansfor communication, they can exchange information on games to increaseenjoyment such of games. Further, if not only one-on-one battle gamesbut also games that can be joined by many players are available,information exchanged based on chats are effective.

A problem with conventional video game machines, however, is that theyhave the Internet connecting function but no application program forelectronic mail or chats, thus requiring a separate general-purposecomputer in order to send electronic mail or have chats.

Further, the conventional video game machines require various procedureswith an ISP, which are cumbersome both to a chat chairman and to guests.Moreover, if new guests are invited while a chat opening process is inprogress, complicated procedures are required, thus making it difficultto increase chat guests.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method andapparatus for joining an electronic conference which method andapparatus allow users to join a chat by means of a simple procedure froma video game machine even while the chat opening process is in progress.

To attain this object, an electronic conference joining method isprovided by which a chairman who opens an electronic conference sets aparticular area on a database and by which guests who join theelectronic conference send a request for access to the area to a serverfrom the guests' terminals. The chairman's terminal stores setupinformation for setting the area, in a storage section, creates aninvitation message containing the setup information stored in thestorage section. The chairman's terminal gives an instruction fortransmission of the invitation message, and transmits an invitationsignal containing the setup information to the guests' terminalsdepending on the instruction. The guests' terminals receives theinvitation signal and obtain the setup information, create an accessrequest signal containing the setup information, and transmit to theserver, the access request signal in response to the guests'instruction.

The chairman's terminal may also receive an opening response signal fromthe server. The signal indicates that the area has been set in thedatabase, in that the opening response signal contains an ID number forallowing the server to identify the area of the database. The chairman'sterminal may also transmit the invitation signal containing the IDnumber, and add the ID number contained in the invitation signal to theaccess request signal.

A third invention is the first or second invention characterized in thatthe setup information contains at least one of a name of the electronicconference and a code number for accessing the area of the database.

A fourth invention is an electronic conference joining system by which achairman who opens an electronic conference sets a particular area on adatabase and by which guests who join the electronic conference send arequest for access to the area to a server from the guests' terminals.The chairman's terminal comprises a storage for storing setupinformation for setting the area and an invitation message creator forcreating an invitation message containing the setup information storedin the storage. The chairman's terminal also indicates an instructiondevice for giving an instruction for transmission of the invitationmessage created by the invitation message creator, and an invitationsignal transmitter for transmitting an invitation signal containing thesetup information to the guests' terminals depending on the instructionfrom the instruction device. The guests' terminals include a setupinformation retriever for receiving the invitation signal and obtainingthe setup information, an access request signal source for creating anaccess request signal containing the setup information obtained by thesetup information retriever, and a request signal transmitter fortransmitting to the server, the access request signal created at theaccess request signal source in response to the guests' instruction.

The chairman's terminal may also include a receiver for receiving anopening response signal from the server. The signal indicates that thearea has been set in the database, in that the opening response signalcontains an ID number for allowing the server to identify the area ofthe database. Moreover, the invitation signal transmitter may transmitthe invitation signal containing the ID number, and in that the accessrequest signal source may add the ID number contained in the invitationsignal to the access request signal. The setup information may containeither a name of the electronic conference or a code number foraccessing the area of the database.

According to another of the present invention, a recording medium hasprograms recorded thereon. The programs control terminals in anelectronic conference joining system by which a chairman who opens anelectronic conference sets a particular area on a database and by whichguests who join the electronic conference send a request for access tothe area to a server from the guests' terminals. The recording medium isreadable by a computer and has to control the chairman's terminal, aprogram recorded thereon for causing the computer to execute storingsetup information for setting the area, in a storage section. Theprogram also cause the computer to create an invitation messagecontaining the setup information stored in the storage section, give aninstruction for transmission of the invitation message, and transmits aninvitation signal containing the setup information to the guests'terminals depending on the instruction. The recording medium has, tocontrol the guests' terminals, a program recorded thereon for causingthe computer to receive the invitation signal and obtain the setupinformation. The computer also creates access request signal containingthe setup information, and transmits to the server, the access requestsignal in response to the guests' instruction.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a program isprovided for controlling terminals in an electronic conference joiningsystem by which a chairman who opens an electronic conference sets aparticular area on a database and by which guests who join theelectronic conference send a request for access to the area to a serverfrom the guests' terminals. The program causes to control the chairman'sterminal, a computer to store setup information for setting the area, ina storage section and create an invitation message containing the setupinformation stored in the storage section. The computer also gives aninstruction for transmission of the invitation message, and transmits aninvitation signal containing the setup information to the guests'terminals depending on the instruction. The program causes to controlthe guests' terminals, the computer to receive the invitation signal andobtain the setup information. The computer also creates an accessrequest signal containing the setup information, and transmits to theserver, the access request signal in response to the guests'instruction.

As described above, the present invention allows users to join a chat byusing a simple procedure from a video game machine even while a chatopening process is in progress.

The above and other objects, effects, features and advantages of thepresent invention will become more apparent from the followingdescription of embodiments thereof taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an example of a system configurationfor providing electronic conference opening, according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the electronicconference opening, according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a view showing an example of a message for opening a chat inthe electronic conference opening, according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a view showing an example of a message for invitation to achat in the electronic conference opening, according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 5 is a view showing an example of a communication data format forinvitation to a chat in the electronic conference opening, according tothe present invention;

FIG. 6 is a view showing an example of a communication data format forentering a chat in the electronic conference opening, according to thepresent invention; and

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of a video game machinehaving the electronic conference opening, mounted therein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detailwith reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an example of a system configuration for providingelectronic conference opening according to the present invention. TheInternet 101 has a server of an ISP, video game machine 103 a and 103 b,and general-purpose components 104 a and 104 b connected thereto.

The ISP servers 102 comprises multiple servers including anauthentication server 111 for managing accounts to authenticate users, acontent server 112 for providing services for allowing users to listento and view content such as sounds or videos, a message server 113 forproviding environments for chats or messengers, a mail server 114 forproviding electronic mail services, a profile server 115 for managingusers' profiles, and game servers 116 a and 116 b for providing gameenvironments, all of these servers are connected to the ISP server via aLAN 117.

With this configuration, a user accesses the authentication server 111from the video game machine 103 a or 103 b or the general-purposecomputer 104 a or 104 b via the Internet 101, to have the userauthenticated. The servers 102 transmit a menu screen to theauthenticated user. The user selects one of services displayed on themenu screen to connect the video game machine 103 a or 103 b or thegeneral-purpose computer 104 a or 104 b to one of the groups of serversdepending on the service, so that the user can receive the service.

FIG. 2 shows an example of electronic conference opening of the presentinvention. A user who desires to open a chat creates a message 201 foropening a chat, on the video game machine 103 a. When this message issent, a chat opening request signal 202 is transmitted to the messageserver 113. The latter transmits a setup signal 203 for opening thedesired chat room to a database in the group of servers and returns achat opening response signal 204 to the user. The opening of a chatrefers to an operation performed by the message server 113 to set aspecified area in the database and grant accesses only to particularusers, that is, chat guests.

Upon receiving the chat opening response signal 204, the user can enter(join) the chat room by transmitting an enter room signal 205 to thedatabase. The entry to a chat room refers to an operation of having theuser's access checked by the message server 113 to access apredetermined area of the database.

Further, a message 206 for invitation to the chat which is transmittedto the chat guests is displayed based on the created message 201, and aninvitation signal 207 is transmitted to all the guests. The video gamemachine 103 b of an expected guest receiving the invitation signal 207displays a screen 210 prompting the guest to enter the chat room, andthe expected guest can join the chat by transmitting a enter room signal208 to the database. At this time, an invitation answer signal 209indicating that the guest accepts the chairman's invitation istransmitted from the expected guest to the chairman. The invitation to achat refers to an operation of granting a guest access to an opened chatroom and prompting the guest to join the chat.

After a chat has been opened, the invitation signal 207 can also betransmitted to new chat guests. The video game machine 103 c, not shownin FIG. 1, of an expected guest receiving the invitation signal 207displays the screen 210 prompting the guest to enter the chat room, andthe expected guest can join the chat by transmitting the enter roomsignal 208 to the database. At this time, the invitation answer signal209 indicating that the guest accepts the chairman's invitation istransmitted from the expected guest to the chairman.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a message for opening a chat in theelectronic conference opening of the present invention. This correspondsto the chat opening message 201 shown in FIG. 2 and is created andtransmitted to the message server 113 by the chairman. The contents ofthe chat opening message 201 request the message server 113 to open thechat room and to transmit the invitation message to the expected guests.

The chat opening message 201 has a category 301 indicative of a type ofmessage, and a message title 302 and a text box 303 that are required totransmit the invitation message to the expected guests. The message 201also has input columns for a chat name 304 and a chat password 305 whichare required to request the message server 113 to open the chat room.

FIG. 4 shows an example of a chat opening data signal format in theelectronic conference opening of the present invention. This correspondsto the invitation message 206 shown in FIG. 2 and is created by thevideo game machine 103 a based on the chat opening message 201 createdby the chairman. The setup information input to create the chat openingmessage 201 has been stored and is used to create the invitation message206. The invitation message 206 differs from the chat opening message201 shown in FIG. 3 in that the chat name 304 input through the chatopening message 201 is displayed as a room name 401 in the invitationmessage 206. The chat password 305 will be described later.

The invitation message 206 can be invoked while the chat opening processis in progress. The user can invoke and edit the invitation message 206by performing an operation required to invoke the message or selectingguests from an address book while the chat opening process is inprogress. Then, after the chat has been opened, the invitation signal207 can be transmitted to other guests.

FIG. 5 shows an example of an invitation data signal format in theelectronic conference opening of the present invention. This data signalformat corresponds to the invitation signal 207 shown in FIG. 2 and iscreated by the video game machine 103 a based on the invitation message206. The video game machine 103 a sets a user name 501 and a user ID 502of the chairman which have already been registered. An “invitation”command 511 is generated by obtaining a chat name 512 and a chatpassword 513 from the contents of the chat opening message 201 andobtaining a chat ID 514 from the contents of the chat opening responsesignal 204.

The chat password 513 is set by obtaining it from the chat password 305in the chat opening message 201 but is not displayed in the invitationmessage 206 shown in FIG. 4. The chat ID 514 is also not displayed. Uponreceiving the invitation message 207, the video game machines 103 b and103 c display the screen 210 prompting the guests to enter the chat roomand create the Enter Room signal 208. The screen 210 prompting theguests to enter the chat room also does not display the chat password513 or the chat ID 514. That is, the chat password 513 and the chat ID514 are recognized by the video game machines 103 a to 103 c during theexchange of the signals but are not communicated to the guests throughthe screen. When cumbersome procedures required to set a chat are thusomitted, users can open and join a chat by means of a simple procedurefrom a video game machine.

FIG. 6 shows an example of a data signal format for entering a chat roomin the electronic conference opening of the present invention. This datasignal format corresponds to the enter room signals 205 and 208 shown inFIG. 2. Here, the enter room signal 208 will be explained. When theguest selects “Enter Room” in the screen 210 prompting the guests toenter the chat room, the video game machines 103 b and 103 c create andtransmit the enter room signal 208 to the database of the group ofmessage servers 113. The video game machine 103 b sets a user name 601,a user ID 602, and a user password 603 of the chairman which havealready been registered. An “Enter Room” command 611 is generated byobtaining the chat name 512, the chat password 513, and the chat ID 514from the contents of the invitation signal 207.

According to this embodiment, even while the chat opening process is inprogress, the video game machine 103 a can invoke the invitation message206 so that the invitation signal 207 can be transmitted based on thismessage, thereby eliminating the need for cumbersome procedures forinviting guests. Further, the guests can join chats without anycumbersome procedure because the video game machines 103 b and 103 cgenerate the enter room signal 208 from the contents of the invitationsignal and transmit this signal.

FIG. 7 shows an example of a video game machine having the electronicconference opening ability of the present invention mounted therein. Thevideo game machine 103 has a CPU 711 for controlling the entire machine,a ROM 712 storing game programs and a program for the electronicconference opening of the present invention, a RAM 713 as a temporarystorage area, and an Application Specific IC (ASIC) 714 for processingimages, which are connected together via a bus 715.

A CD-ROM drive 716 for loading the game programs and the program for theelectronic conference opening of the present invention, from the CD-ROMstoring these programs, a serial interface 717 connected to the gamecontroller 701, a video interface 718 connected to a TV monitor 702, anda communications interface 719 for connection to the Internet 101 arealso connected to the bus 715.

Of course, the present invention is achieved by causing the video gamemachine or general-purpose computer to read and execute program code ofsoftware from the storage medium storing these program codes, thesoftware implementing the electronic conference opening of the presentinvention. The storage medium for supplying the program code mayinclude, for example, a floppy disk, a hard disk, aphoto-electromagnetic disk, an optical disk, a CD-ROM, a CD-R, amagnetic tape, a non-volatile memory card, and a ROM.

The electronic conference opening of the present invention is applicablenot only to standalone general-purpose computers but also to a clientserver system including a group of computers

The present invention has been described in detail with respect topreferred embodiments, and it will now be apparent from the foregoing tothose skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be madewithout departing from the invention in its broader aspects. It is theintention, therefore, in the appended claims to coverall such changesand modifications that fall within the true spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electronic chat joining method, comprising:requesting, by a chairman video game terminal via a request thatincludes setup information that is input to the chairman video gameterminal, a server to open a chat, the server opening the chat bysetting an area of a database for storing chat messages; creating, bythe chairman video game terminal, an invitation message that providesaccess to the area of the database, the invitation message comprisingthe setup information; giving, by the chairman video game terminal, aninvitation instruction for transmission of the invitation message;creating, at the chairman video game terminal and not by the server, aninvitation data signal that is based on the invitation message and thatcomprises the setup information; initiating, by the chairman video gameterminal, transmission of the invitation data signal from the chairmanvideo game terminal to the server based on the invitation instruction;receiving, by the guest video game terminal, the invitation data signalfrom the server; obtaining, by the guest video game terminal, the setupinformation from the invitation data signal; creating, by the guestvideo game terminal, an access request signal based on the setupinformation; transmitting, from the guest video game terminal to theserver, the access request signal in response to the guest video gameterminal receiving a guest instruction, wherein the setup informationincludes a password that is communicated from the chairman video gameterminal to at least one of the server and the guest video game terminalwithout modification and that initiates and authenticates access to thearea of the database by the guest video game terminal.
 2. An electronicchat joining system, comprising: a chairman video game terminalincluding: a chairman terminal communications interface that requests aserver, via setup information that is input to the chairman video gameterminal, to open a chat, the server opening the chat by setting an areaof a database for storing chat messages; a chairman terminal processorthat creates, at the chairman video game terminal and not by the server,an invitation message that provides access to the area of the database,the invitation message comprising the setup information; the chairmanterminal processor that issues invitation instruction for transmissionof the invitation message; the chairman terminal processor that createsan invitation data signal that is based on the invitation message andthat comprises the setup information; and the chairman terminalcommunications interface that initiates transmission of the invitationdata signal to the server in response to the invitation instruction fromthe chairman terminal processor; and the guest video game terminalincluding: a guest terminal communications interface that receives theinvitation data signal from the server; a guest terminal processor thatobtains the setup information from the invitation data; the guestterminal processor that creates an access request signal comprising thesetup information obtained by the setup information retriever; and theguest terminal communications interface that transmits, to the server,the access request signal in response to the guest video game terminalreceiving a guest instruction, wherein the setup information includes apassword that is communicated from the chairman video game terminal toat least one of the server and the guest video game terminal withoutmodification and that initiates and authenticates access to the area ofthe database by the guest video game terminal.
 3. An electronic chatjoining method, comprising: setting, by a chairman video game terminal,an area of a database for storing chat messages; requesting, by thechairman video game terminal via a request that includes setupinformation that is input to the chairman video game terminal, a serverto open a chat; creating by the server, the data signal that comprisesthe setup information; initiating, by the server, transmission of thedata signal comprising the setup information from the server to a guestvideo game terminal; receiving, by the guest video game terminal, thedata signal; obtaining, by the guest video game terminal, the setupinformation from the data signal; creating, by the guest video gameterminal, an access request signal based on the setup information;transmitting, from the guest video game terminal, the access requestsignal in response to the guest video game terminal receiving a guestinstruction, wherein the setup information includes a password thatinitiates and authenticates access to the area of the database by theguest video game terminal.
 4. A electronic chat joining system,comprising: a chairman video game terminal including: a chairmanterminal processor that sets an area of a database for storing chatmessages; and a chairman terminal communications interface that requestsa server, via setup information that is input to the chairman video gameterminal, to open a chat; the server including: a server processor thatcreates the data signal that comprises the setup information; and aserver communications interface that initiates transmission of the datasignal comprising the setup information from the server to a guest videogame terminal; and the guest video game terminal including: a guestterminal communications interface that receives the data signal; a guestterminal processor that obtains the setup information from the datasignal; the guest terminal processor that creates an access requestsignal based on the setup information; and the guest terminalcommunications interface that transmits, from the guest video gameterminal, the access request signal in response to the guest video gameterminal receiving a guest instruction, wherein the setup informationincludes a password that initiates and authenticates access to the areaof the database by the guest video game terminal.